Moser



June 24, 1958 o. MOSER 2,840,638

TELETSfPEWRITER Filed Aug. 18, 1954 United States Patent i TELETYPEWRITER Otto Moser, Bern, Switzerland Application August 18, 1954, Serial No. 450,699

Claims priority, application Switzerland November 25, 1953 2 Claims. (Cl. 178-23) My invention relates to teletypewriters and similar teleprinting apparatus that are selectively operable as a transmitter as well as a receiver and that operate to type the message, being transmitted or received, onto a sheet passing about a platen roller. Duringtransmitting operation, the text being typed serves to provide one or several confirmation copies. The typing in such apparatus is effected by means of type faces acting upon an inking ribbon in much the same manner as in an ordinary typewriter.

For distinguishing the incoming and outgoing messages, the known teletypewriters are provided with twocolor printers which produce the text in a selected color indicative of the direction of communication. For instance, incoming messages are typed in blackwhile outgoing messages appear in red. A salient disadvantage of such apparatus lies in the fact that the distinction between incoming and outgoing messagesfappears only on the first sheet but not on anycarbon copies.

According to another proposal that does not incur this disadvantage and upon which the present invention is predicated, a teleprinter is provided with ajmarking device that adds to the text a typed character distinguished incoming from outgoing messages. vice is actuated by means incorporated in the printing mechanism and operating under control by devices that are effective only during operation of the machine inone of the two directions of communication.

According to the just-mentioned proposal an intermediate member is longitudinally displaced prior to the printing operation proper so that the displacement causes a marking type-face mounted on the intermediate member to reach a position in front of the inking ribbon. The displacement is caused by a cam disc that revolves only when the teleprinter operates in one given direction of traffic. When the type face and the paper to be imprinted occupy. the proper relative positions, the intermediate member is struck by a pivotally mounted striker so that the typeface imprints an identifying character upon the paper. The control of the intermediate memberin this apparatus is entirely mechanical.

It is an object of my invention to provide a teleprinter with a marking device for the above-mentionedpurpose that is distinguished from the known marking devices by a simplified and space-saving design of improved reliability. To this end, and in accordance with a feature of my invention, I provide the marking device with a type-carrying rod or plunger equipped with coupling means that enter into the operating range of actuating devices under control by an electromagnet; and I control the energizing circuit of the electromagnet by a contact actuated by the rotation of a cam disc occurring only when the machine operates in a given direction of traflic.

The foregoing and other objects and features of the invention will be apparent from the embodiments exemplified by the drawings and described in the following. In the drawings:

Fig. 1 shows a lateral view of a marking device ac- This marking de- 2,840,638 Patented June 24, 1958 ice marking device according to Figs. 1 and 2, the housing of the apparatus being removed, and Fig. 4 is a rear view of the device according to Figs. land 2.

The illustrated teleprinters have a platen roller for accommodating a sheet to be typed upon and are provide ed with a printing device. During the operation of the machine, the platen, roller moves back and forth along the printing device in the direction of the lines of characters to be typed. The printing device has a type carrier in the form of a group of coaxial type wheels each comprising a peripherally distributed group of type faces. The cylindrical type carrier is revolvably mounted on a swingablesupport, and the selection of the particular type face to be imprinted at a time is effected by revolving the type carner in accordance with pulse combinations being received or transmitted.

Teleprinting apparatus of this kind are known as such, an example of improved design is described and illustrated in detail in my copending application Serial No. 412,513, filed February 25, 1954, entitled Teletypewriter. However, the following description, relating to Fig. 3 of the drawing, goes beyond the marking device of my invention proper and includes as many of the associated teleprinter components as have to be mentioned for conrevolves only when the teleprinter is operating in the one trafiic direction for which the text being typed is to be marked. For instance, the cam shaft 1 may constitute the transmitter control shaft if the outgoing messages are to be provided by a distinctive mark. Mounted on shaft 1 is a cam disc 2 coacting with an electric contact 3. When the cam shaft 1 is in the illustrated position of rest, the contact 3 is open. When the cam shaft 1 revolves, the contact3 is closed during substantially the entire period of revolution. Contact 3 is connected in an excitation circuit which includes a current source 19,, an electromagnet 34 and another contact 17. The contact 17 is a limit contact and is closed only when the platen roller 21 (Fig. 3) is in one of its two end positionslof travel, for instance at the beginning of a line to be typed.

The teleprinter shown in Fig. 3 has a frame structure 147 with a stationary guide rail 144 along which a carriage 149- is displaceable. carriage are the platen roller 21 and a supply roller 148 from which a sheet of paper passesaround the platen roller. Thereceiver-printer assembly 141 of the teleprinter is stationarily mounted on the, frame structure and has a type carrier 143 controlled and actuated to type upon the paper in the manner described above. After each individual typing operation, the platen with carriage shifts one step toward the left until it reaches the end-of-line position shown in Fig. 3. The platen roller is acted upon by a line-shift device. This device comprises a double-armed lever 22 freely revolvable on the shaft 23 of the platen roller. One arm 22a of lever 22 is connected with the line-shift drive (not shown) controlled by the pulse-responsive receiver of the teleprinter. The other arm 22b of lever 22 carries a pivotally-movable pawl 24 engaging a ratchet gear 25 that is firmly mounted on the platen roller shaft 23. To prevent obscuring of other parts, the ratchet gear 25, fully shown in Figs. 2 and 3, is shown in Fig. 1 only by dot- Revolvably mounted on the.

and-dash lines. In Figs. 1 and 2, the parts of the marking and line-shifting devices are shown in the active position by heavy lines andin the position of rest by thin lines. f i

The markingjdevice has ajmarknig plunger 26n1ounted. on alcarrier ZTthat' is pivoted By, a pihi ZBfto a bracket 27 firmly attached tojthe carriage, structure 1149;, The marking plunger 2G' i's actuated by the line-shiftdevice through acoupling lever 31). LeyerZi'Oj is linked, by: a:

pivot pin 31 to the carrier29l' f' Afcoupling pin} 32} is fixed to a projection 310d (Fig. 7 )j of lever 30 to' cooperate with a cam portion122c of the lever 22, of the.

iline-shift device; Lever 30v is kept in the position, of',

restby the force of a springl33'. 'In this, position, the

\ coupling pin 32' is' outside'of the active range of cam device will operate and produce" an id'entifyingmark on,

the confirmationcopy whenthe machine operates as a transmitter the above-describedmarkingdevice operates V as follows:-

By depressing the line shift key of the transmitting.

teleprinter; the transmitter controlshaft 1, is released to perform one single run: revolution. The cam-controlled contact3' closes as soon asithe transmitter control shaft 1 leaves its, initialposition. In this manner, the energizing circuit ofelectrorna'gnet 34iscompletedi The armature 35 is attracted so that, as described, the marking deviceis coupledwith the line-shift mechanism. At the sametime, the pulse-responsive receiver in the same teleprinter is placed in operation and receives the code-' pulse combination line shift" which-controls the' lineshift mechanism" to perform. the line shift. command. During Iineshifting, the" lever 22; and; together, therewith the platen roller 21, are turnedTone step by the v pawl' 24- acting uponthejratchet' 25' in the counterclockwise direction1(Fig. 4). At'thesame time, the coupling pin 32"offlever 304s liftedby its engagement with the cam portion 22c oflever 22, and moves the coupling lever 30in such a manner. (toward the left in Figs, 1

I and 2)' that'the carrier with theimarking' plunger 26' is swung against"tlie platen 011a; 21,"thus producing an imprint ofthe marking character;

Such an automaticallyoperating device for the dis, criminating' marking of. teileprinter; messages is particu:

larly advantageous for use withqtel'eprinters exclusively or selectively controllable' by means of" punched strips.

It willbe obvious to those skilled in the art,'upor1 a study of this disclosure, that my invention permits of various modification'as regard the details 'of'the marking device and itsarrangement' on the teleprinter, andhence can be given-embodiments other than those specifically described andillustrated, without departing from the essential features of'my invention and within the scope of the claims annexed hereto.

I claim:

1. In combination, a page-printing teleprinter for communication in both directions comprising a stationarily journaled platen roller and a revolvable shaft carrying said roller, said teleprinter having a line-shift mechanism connected with said shaft for imparting stepwise revolution to said platen roller, a marking device for imprinting an identifyingcharacter indicative to the direction of communication, said marking device being stationarily mounted atoneend of' theplaten roller and having a type carrier member, said carrier member being movable in a direction toward said platen roller for imprinting said" character, a cam mounted on said shaft, a coupling lever connected to said carrier member and operative to move said carrier member: in the character imprinting direction, said coupling member being normally disengaged from said cam, an electromagnet havinga movable armature, means controlled bymovement of saidarmature,v tomove saidl coupling le'vert into: the operating: range of said' camwhen said magnet is: en.- ergized, said' cam beingj'o'perativ'e 'to control said, coupling levergfor operating" said; carrier duringline-shift operationof' said mechanism, and an electric energizing, circuit connected with said magnet and comprising, circuit-control means responsive to teleprinter operationrin. a given one, of said directions of' communication, for energizing said magnet.

2. In combination, a page-printing teleprinter-f'or communication in both directions comprisinga carriage displaceable in. the printing-line .direction a roller. shaft revolt/ably mounted, on said" carriage-parallel to; said direction, a platen roller, on saidlshaft,alineshift mecha anism connected, with said shaft for imparting stepwise revolution ,to' said platen,.roller, a, marking, device. forimprinting an identifying character indicative tothe direction of communication, said marking, device being, mounted on said carriage to travel, together therewith and having a type carrier near one end of said platen roller, said carrier, being, normally, spaced} radially from. said roller and bei'ngmov'able; toward'said, roller, a cammounted on said" shaft, a coupling member linked to said carrier for movingit in imprinting dir'ection,,said" coupling member b'einglnormally disengaged from. said, earn, an electromagnethavinga moyable, armature, ,means controlled by movement of said armature to: move. said, coupling member into the operating range of' said, cam when-saidmagnet is energized, saidicambeingoperative to, control said" coupling member for operating, said carrier during line-shift operation of said mechanism, and an electric energizing circuit connected with said magnet and comprising circuit-control means responsive to teleprinter operation in a given one ofsaid' directions. of communication for energizing saidjmagnet.

References C'itedtin the file of this patent UNITED. STATES PATENTS 2,293,093 Zenner Aug: 1811942 2,490,476 Roth etal Dec. 6, 1949 2,548,720 Gretener- Apr. 10; 1951 2,572,075- Thompson Get; 23, 1951' 

